Ellen Kessler
Born
August 20, 1936 (88 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Nerchau, Germany
Alice and Ellen Kessler (born 20 August 1936 in Nerchau, Saxony, Germany) are twin entertainers known in Europe, especially Germany and Italy, from the 1950s and 1960s for their singing, dancing, and acting. They are usually credited as the Kessler Twins (Die Kessler-Zwillinge in Germany and Le Gemelle Kessler in Italy), where they remain popular.
The Kessler sisters enjoyed a significant degree of popularity in the US, appearing on national television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show. The Kesslers made their American television debut on the CBS variety show, The Red Skelton Hour. They also appeared in the 1963 film Sodom and Gomorrah as dancers and were featured on the cover of Life Magazine that same year.
Their parents, Paul and Elsa, sent them to ballet classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child ballet program at age 11. When they were 18, their parents used a visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where they performed at the Palladium in Düsseldorf. They performed at The Lido in Paris between 1955 and 1960, where they met Elvis Presley, on leave from the Army on June 17, 1959, and represented West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in 8th place with Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n (Tonight we want to go dancing).
They moved to Italy in 1960 and gradually moved to more serious roles. They became very popular thanks to the RAI television variety show Studio Uno (1961–1966). At the age of 40, they agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That issue became the fastest-selling Italian Playboy to that date.
They moved back to Germany in 1986 and live in Grünwald. They have received two awards from both the German and Italian governments for promoting German-Italian cooperation through their work in show business.
Source: Article "Kessler Twins" from Wikipedia in english, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For
Ringlstetter
self · (1 episode)
2016
Wer weiß denn sowas?
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Heimat - Deine Filme
Self · (1 episode)
2008
Markus Lanz
Self · (1 episode)
2008
Inas Nacht
Self · (1 episode)
2007
Ein Leben wie im Flug
Self
2007
Lafer! Lichter! Lecker!
Self · (1 episode)
2006
Filmlegenden. Deutsch
Self · (2 episodes)
2006
Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Die Michael Schanze Jubiläumsgala
Self · (1 episode)
2005
Johannes Heesters: Eine Legende wird 100
Self
2003
Menschen bei Maischberger
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Ein roter Teppich für....
Self · (1 episode)
2002
Aeschbacher
Self · (1 episode)
2001
Menschen der Woche
Self · (2 episodes)
2000
Alpha Forum
Self · (1 episode)
1998
Zimmer frei!
Self · (1 episode)
1996
Lukas
Ellen Kessler · (1 episode)
1996
Die Harald Schmidt Show
Self · (1 episode)
1995
Lebens-Künstler
Self · (1 episode)
1995
Versteckte Kamera
Self · (1 episode)
1995
Balko
Ira Adomeit · (1 episode)
1995
alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio
Self · (1 episode)
1994
Die Feste mit Florian Silbereisen
Self · (1 episode)
1994
Auf eigene Gefahr
Lucie Grindel · (1 episode)
1993
Riverboat
Self · (1 episode)
1992
Boulevard Bio
Self · (1 episode)
1991
DAS!
Self · (2 episodes)
1991
Mini Playback Show
Self · (1 episode)
1990
Ein Schloß am Wörthersee
Erika Strassberg · (1 episode)
1990
Pssst ...
self · (1 episode)
1990
Alles Nichts Oder?!
Self · (1 episode)
1988
Nachtcafé
Self · (1 episode)
1987
Showgeschichten
Self · (1 episode)
1986
Die verflixte 7
Self · (1 episode)
1984
Menschen
Self · (1 episode)
1982
Wortwechsel
Self · (1 episode)
1982
Heut' abend
Self · (1 episode)
1980
Die Pyramide
Self · (1 episode)
1979
NDR Talk Show
Self · (3 episodes)
1979
Bio’s Bahnhof
Self · (1 episode)
1978
Auf los geht's los
Self · (2 episodes)
1977
Music & Guests
Self · (1 episode)
1976
Domenica In
Self · (1 episode)
1976
Kölner Treff
Self · (1 episode)
1976
Treffpunkt Herz
Gast
1975
Numéro un
Self · (2 episodes)
1975
Am laufenden Band
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1974
Die Montagsmaler
Self · (1 episode)
1974
Klimbim
Self · (1 episode)
1973
8 x 1 in Noten
Self · (1 episode)
1973
Hätten Sie heut’ Zeit für mich?
Self · (1 episode)
1972
Anneliese Rothenberger gibt sich die Ehre
Self · (1 episode)
1971
Dalli Dalli
Self - Contestant · (1 episode)
1971
Dalli Dalli
Self · (2 episodes)
1971
Die diebischen Zwillinge
Kathy · (7 episodes)
1971
Scene of the Crime
Mutter Bemering · (1 episode)
1970
Wünsch dir was
Self · (1 episode)
1969
Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten
Self · (1 episode)
1969
Night-Club
Self · (2 episodes)
1968
Starparade
Self · (1 episode)
1968
Andere Zeiten - andere Sitten
Self
1967
Die Caterina-Valente-Show
Self · (1 episode)
1966
Playgirl
Self
1966
Continental Showcase
Self · (2 episodes)
1966
Complexes
Self (segment "Guglielmo il Dentone")
1965
Songs, Bullies and Chicks
Self
1964
Dead Woman from Beverly Hills
Tiddy Sister Nr. 1
1964
The Thursday
Self
1964
The Danny Kaye Show
Self · (1 episode)
1963
Maskenball bei Scotland Yard
Kessler-Zwillinge
1963
Lieben Sie Show ?
Self - Host · (4 episodes)
1962
Sodom and Gomorrah
Dancer
1962
Der Vogelhändler
Tänzerin
1962
Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies
Milli
1962
Erik the Conqueror
Daya
1961
Die lachende Dritte
Ellen
1961
Rocco e le sorelle
1961
Hotel Victoria
Self · (1 episode)
1961
Love and the Frenchwoman
L'autre jumelle, un mannequin de publicité (segment "L'Adultère")
1960
The Magician
Hildegarde
1960
Stars in the Ring
Self · (2 episodes)
1959
Discorama
Self · (2 episodes)
1959
Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol
Lo
1958
Countess Mariza
Rosika
1958
The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina
Tänzerin
1958
Das Posthaus im Schwarzwald
Cilli
1958
Tabarin
Self
1958
Der Bettelstudent
Katja
1958
The Count of Luxemburg
Franzi
1957
Mit Rosen fängt die Liebe an
Lotte
1957
Die Zwillinge vom Zillertal
Tänzerin
1957
Zum blauen Bock
Self · (2 episodes)
1957
Vier Mädels aus der Wachau
Hanni
1957
Scherben bringen Glück
Flora Fleuron
1957
Solang es hübsche Mädchen gibt
Ellen
1955
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (1 episode)
1948
Bambi-Verleihung
Self - Laudation · (1 episode)
1948